Hotline Sort: Hello, Wisconsin!

By Sean Sullivan

5) Upping the ante is debate challenges is common practice, but how about this: Texas Lt. Governor David Dewhurstsays he is open to debatingTed Cruz, his opponent in the July 31 Senate runoff, in Spanish.
4) Democratic Senate candidate Heidi Heitkamp is up with a new statewide TV ad in North Dakota, a 30-second touting a tough law she pressed for as attorney general allowing the state to detain sex offenders.
Heitkamp's ad strategy has been consistent with other competitive Democrats running in red states: to keep the focus on local issues.
3) It's only been a few days since he praised Romney's business career but on Monday, Bill Clinton, appearing at a fundraiser with President Obama, said, Romney "would be in my opinion calamitous for our country and the world," the New York Timesreports.
Meanwhile, the WSJ is up with a major story outlining Romney's support for an individual mandate in the Massachusetts health care law when he was governor. Not the headline Romney wanted to wake up to.
2) The major footprint left by the GOP-aligned outside groups American Crossroads and Crossroads GPS is already being felt well in advance of the fall campaign season in both congressional campaigns and the presidential race. Crossroads GPS is launching a $7 million ad buy attacking Obama over the nation's debt. It's part of a previously announced $25 million ad buy.
1) It's Election Day in seven states: Voters head to the polls today in California, Iowa, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, South Dakota and Wisconsin, which features the marquee showdown between Republican Gov. Scott Walker and Democrat Tom Barrett in a historic recall election. Don't miss our rundown of five things to watch in the Badger State tonight, including down-ballot state Senate and lieutenant governor recall campaigns. We've got full previews of all the action in the House as well, and we'll have complete results and analysis right here this evening.
One more thing worth noting about Wisconsin: Obama tweeted support for Barrett on Monday night. It's welcome news for the Democrat, but it also neatly sums up the distance Obama has kept between himself and the recall election.

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